Feeling Tired Part III

We live in a society in which many people are taking many types of medical drugs.

It is important to remember that various medical drugs have tiredness or drowsiness as a side effect.

For example, various benzodiazepines, many analgesics, antihistamines and antibiotics can all lead to tiredness. Also, many hypnotics, if taken over long periods, will cause chronic tiredness by interfering with the body’s natural sleep rhythms.

It is very important to talk with your doctor and/or pharmacist in order to understand your medications possible side effects.

If you are prescribed many different medications from different doctors or specialists, it is important that your pharmacist has a complete list of your medications in order that there is no possible problem with the interaction between different medications.

Proper nutrition is a very important factor for everyone to look into in order to increase levels of energy.

Malnutrition, from poverty, ignorance or unwise dieting can cause tiredness. For example, many people become so obsessed with losing weight that their intake of proteins, vitamins and iron especially, becomes so low as to cause severe tiredness and loss of concentration. Obviously, adopting a nutritional pattern that gives all the daily requirements while minimizing weight gain is essential. Consulting a nutritionist and cooking at home are the best first steps in order to improve one’s diet.

Lack of exercise can produce a feeling of tiredness and depression.

Our society has become increasingly sedentary over the past few decades. This is why it is so important to exercise. Moderate exercise helps to circulate the energy and really helps to relieve tiredness. As a bonus, it helps you lose weight and often improves sleep quality. On the other end of the exercise spectrum is the type of person who excessively exercises. Obviously what constitutes excessive exercise will depend on a person’s capacity at a particular time. One problem is that to preserve macho self-image, or to reduce weight, many people are reluctant to reduce the amount of exercise even when they are exhausted. A possible idea is to find less vigorous forms of exercise such as Qi Gong or yoga, which will still make them stronger and more fit.

A person’s line of work and working environment are also important factors to look into for anyone who is feeling run down.

It is not only the quantity of work that is exhausting, it is the degree of stress with which it is performed, and the degree of dissatisfaction with the work environment. Unemployment, redundancy, retirement, job insecurity, a boring, repetitive or undemanding job, can all lead to depression and tiredness. On the other hand, a person in a ‘good’ job may feel just as dissatisfied, depressed and tired, if the job doesn’t match their abilities or personality. For example, for some people, retirement is an enormous change. They may find themselves with less physical exercise, less mental challenge, less social stimulation, and less meaning or direction in life. Possible suggestions for this type of person might be part-time work, voluntary work, new social outlets, and new past-times. Counseling can also be helpful in finding a new understanding of yourself, and a reappraisal of life patterns and goals.

Finally, one of the most obvious causes of tiredness is lack of sleep.

Either people do not permit themselves sufficient hours of sleep, their rhythms are broken by the irregular hours of shift work, or they have insomnia.

The use of hypnotics is no long-term solution as it can create a dependency and it only masks the true problem.

For all these different factors, acupuncture, along with other appropriate care choices, can be extremely helpful in increasing, improving, and maintaining proper levels of energy.